Flames first-rounder Pelletier pumped for Saddledome debut

Nothing against WinSport’s Markin MacPhail Centre, but Calgary Flames first-round pick Jakob Pelletier is pumped about this change of scenery.

With the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Awards now wrapped, the Flames’ rookie-campers will move Tuesday into the Saddledome, just in time for an eye-on-the-future exhibition game against prospects for the provincial rival Edmonton Oilers.

“It’s going to be crazy. Maybe I’m going to be nervous,” Pelletier said with a grin. “I think I’m going to be pretty excited. And I have to take the excitement to show on the ice what I can do. If I stay the same player and stay the same person, I think I’m going to be alright.”

Tuesday’s pre-pre-season showdown against the Oilers will mark Pelletier’s first spin at the Saddledome, the soon-to-be-replaced winter home of Johnny Gaudreau, Mark Giordano & Co.

The Flames selected Pelletier with the No. 26 overall selection in the 2019 NHL Draft.

Asked what he hopes to showcase in his home debut, the 18-year-old left-winger didn’t hesitate.

“A guy who doesn’t give up, a guy who works hard and can show some things on offence and defence too,” Pelletier said. “And a guy who is pretty competitive, I would say.”

The Flames love his competitive spirit.

It seems like a certainty that Pelletier will return for another campaign with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Moncton Wildcats, but the buzzsaw forward — like every other up-and-comer — would prefer to stay put at the Saddledome for the entire winter.

“My mindset is to leave it all here,” Pelletier said. “At the end of the day, I’m going to make the decision if I go back or no. So I’m going to try to focus on what can I control. If I leave it all here, we’re going to see what is going to happen next.”

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